Sexual Violence in War

The following links are recent resources on the experiences of women and children in situations of war and mass atrocities, including experiences of rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence.

• Global Network of Women Peacebuilders 

The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) is a coalition of women’s groups and other civil society organizations from around the world — mostly in conflict-affected countries — that are actively involved in advocacy and action for the full and effective implementation of the Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security. The Women, Peace and Security - Canada network is part of the GNWP. It promotes and monitors the efforts of the Government of Canada to implement and support the United Nation Security Council Resolutions on women, peace and security and provides a forum for exchange and action by Canadian civil society on issues related to women, peace and security.

• International Committee of the Red Cross

Sexual violence has been, and to a large extent continues to be, shrouded in silence. However, the dynamics behind it, including its prevalence and horrific toll on individuals and societies, have been progressively better understood over the last two decades. This Review intends to contribute to the discussion on how to further improve access to and quality of services to victims, while also crafting effective prevention strategies.

• Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict

The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC) serves as the United Nations’ spokesperson and political advocate on conflict-related sexual violence. The priorities of the Office are to end impunity for sexual violence in conflict, to protect and empower civilians who face sexual violence in conflict, to mobilize government engagement, to increase recognition of rape as a tactic and consequence of war, to harmonize the UN response and to emphasize greater national ownership. In Faith in Islam & Faith in Women, Zainab Bangura, Special Representative of the UNSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, reports on the horrendous, systematic abuse women and girls are subjected to in the wars wrought by extremist groups in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, and elsewhere.

• ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape

New York Times report on sexual slavery in Syrian and Iraqi areas under ISIS control. The report was confirmed and elaborated in the recent UN Human Rights Panel report, which concluded that ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidis.

• Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights releases regular detailed reports on the war in Syria, including violations of the rights of women and children, government use of rape and torture against men and women in prison, and ISIS imposition of harsh penalties for violations of Sharia law, deliberate displacement or assimilation of minority groups, and trade in Yazidi sex slaves.

• Sexual Violence in Afghanistan

In "Hand Cover Bruise: The Destruction of Afghanistan's Boys," Christian Stephen explains the dynamics of sexual abuse and rape of young boys in Afghanistan's "bacha bazi" system. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan summarized its findings on violence against women in " Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan ."

• Women Under Siege Project

The Women's Media Center's Women Under Siege project is a journalism project that investigates how rape and other forms of sexualized violence are used as tools in genocide and conflict throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.